1997: Mac OS 8

1997: Mac OS 8

After scrapping the OS formerly known as Copland in early 1997, in favor of incremental updates to OS 7, Apple released its predecessor, OS 8, which introduced context menus, customizable fonts, and a simplified Finder menu. More importantly, the new operating system introduced the end of the era in which Apple didn’t have a monopoly on Macintosh-powered computers. That’s because Apple stopped licensing its new OS to clone makers, which, at the time, was considered a risky choice; clones made up about a fifth of Macintosh-based computer sales.